SciFi and Fantasy Stories: Birth of the first unicorn

The birth of the first unicorn.

In the beginning there were only they, the two gods.

Kinia and her consort, Tiwere.

Kinia was the source of light and love so different from Tiwere, that was the picture of chaos and darkness, never the less they loved each other and to seal their love in a ever lasting pact they decided to create the world of Shijui.

Tiwere created the dark and fertile earth and the great volcanoes, the empty seas and the silent skies.

Kinia created the green grass and trees, the jewels hidden in the womb of the rock, the waves to wash the sands and the clouds that danced on the skies.

Having created the lands Kinia and Tiwere placed their sons and daughters on the lands.

Their children were creatures of no certain form and could soon take the form of a tree and soon the form of a wave.

Kinia, wishing them only the best created a wonderful tree, the tree of wishes, close to a profound and dark lake.

The leaves of this tree was of such nature that each one of them fulfilled a wish, no matter how impossible or difficult it was.

One by one the children approached the tree and one by one they stated their wishes.

The firstborn boy with a strength that could rival that of his father was the first to speak out his wish.

"My wish it to rule all that I cast my eye upon, that nothing can live or even exist without me. I wish to be feared and worshiped, to be the only ruler of my kingdom and that no other can rival my strength and power."

He picked a leaf that seemed to glow in his hand. He felt how he grew bigger and how his veins seemed filled with fire. He felt himself being lifted from the ground and placed high over the surface of Shijui.

A voice came out from the nothingness that surrounded him, it was warm and loving.

"Your wish will be fulfilled, none of what I created can now exist without you, the green of the lands will need of your gentle kiss to grow and no clouds can be born without your command, all of the glowing hearts of the earth will be like a fragment of your beauty."

The boy felt like a god and started sending his shining energy down at the earth. Blinded by his new power he burned the trees and grass down to the ground and evaporated the seas, the clouds that so joyfully danced over the skies became dark and stormy, but never a drop of rain fell to the thirsting earth. The glowing light scorched the mountains and blinded many of his brothers.

The boy then heard another voice, this one dark and menacing.

"Power is not an kind gift my son.

It can madden even the sanest of men and even the most virtuous can be corrupted by it’s taste.

In your blind use of power you have destroyed what your mother and I have made as a gift for your brothers and sisters.

In punishment for your thoughtlessness you will now die each dusk to be reborn each dawn. You will have to walk the skies forever trapped by your own power.

This is your lesson to learn."

The boy looked down at the destruction he caused and lowered his head.

Fully accepting his punishment he started to wander toward the darkness where he died in silence, died to await the moment of dawn where he was reborn as new.

This is the way the Sun started it’s wanderings over the world of Shijui.

The second child to state a wish was a young girl, shining in beauty she softly picked a silver colored leaf and spoke.

"I wish that all that saw me fell in love with me, that my love would draw them to me and never let them leave me.

I wish that my beauty grew many times and that I was almost as shining as my brother, the Sun."

The leaf started to scintillate as she felt a cold wind blow over her face, lifting her of the ground and placing her in the place that her brother had occupied.

Her white gowns became of the purest silver as her long hair flooded toward the dark lands as rays of silvery light.

All of her brothers and sister looked up at her as a sigh of love escaped from their lips.

The reborn trees stretched their branches toward her as the rain fell silently from the clouds to once again fill the seas.

As she smiled two of her brothers went mad with love and started to climb the highest mountain trying to reach her. As they reached the top they started to fight each other to see which one of them was worthy of their sisters love.

The sister watched in horror as one of them grabbed a rock and smashed the head of the other, then he stood up, still covered in blood and howled his despair. Because even as he stood on the tallest mountain top he could not reach her. Maddened by love he threw himself of the mountain and died as his neck snapped against a rock.

The sister covered her face with her hand and cried for her lost brothers. She soon enough lifted her head as she heard the screams of fear from her other brothers and sisters.

The sea, trying as hard as it could to reach her, was drowning the lands as it advanced toward her.

The girl saw this and lifted her hands to the sky.

"Oh mother, father.

My wish was wrong, I never intended this to happen.

Please let me die so no one can ever see me again, hide me in the darkness so I never draw anyone to me again."

She covered her face with her hands and started crying again.

"There, there my sweet one.

Now you know that love brings a great deal of responsibility. You can never just ask a person to love you more than anything, and then never let him near you. Beauty and love can also be a curse."

Kinia spoke soothing to her daughter as she dried her own tears for the death of her sons.

Tiwere lifted the chin of his daughter and made her look into the darkness that was his face.

"You have one hard lesson to learn my little one. But I cannot accede to your wishes, you need to learn this. It is your cross to bear.

You will, as your brother, have to wander the skies so your kin can learn of your mistakes. You will die in the dawn and be reborn in the dusk.

But to make your pain easier to bear I give you this."

The girl saw a large, black veil appear in front of her.

"You can cover your face with this veil to show the sorrow you bear for your lost brothers.

But once each month you will have to remove your veil and show your face to the world so that everyone may learn the secret that your mother has given you, the secret of love."

The girl nodded softly and covered her face with the veil, leaving only a small part of her cheek at view and started wandering after her brother, the Sun.

This the way the Moon started it’s wandering on the Shijui skies.

Seeing how his brother and sister, having abused of the powers they were given the next child that approached the tree wished not to rule over the others nor have them depending on him.

Picking one of the leafs he stated his wish.

"May I forever remain on Shijui, for the heavens are too big for me.

Let me be strong and swift so I can explore all of its mysteries. I wish that my voice can be heard wherever I go and that I can reach even the most hidden places of this earth."

As soon as he finished stating his wish he felt something strange happen to him, he felt himself grow ten times his size, his arms almost touching the clouds. His legs grew so long that he could cross the lands with only a few steps. Nothing on Shijui escaped from his eyes.

He ran around the earth laughing loudly, dancing over the mountain tops and swimming over the largest of seas.

After a while he felt tired and went to look for his remaining brothers and sisters.

Imagine his surprise when he saw his kin running from him in fear, and as he tried to speak to them his voice was just a loud roar that scared them even more.

Curious of what was scaring his brothers and sisters away he looked at his reflection in the waters. What he saw broke his heart. Looking at him from the waters was the most horrid of monsters, with arms so long that they could crush the tallest of trees, and legs so long and heavy that they could trample even the largest of mountains to the ground.

But worst of all was the mouth, never in the world had he seen anything so large. It could easily devour all of his brothers and drink all of the water in the sea. Sitting down he started crying, for he had never felt so alone nor so ashamed of himself.

From the skies Kinia watched and begged Tiwere of mercy for her son.

"He was thoughtless I know, but no one deserves such loneliness.

Tiwere, my consort, my mate. Please grant me this wish. Let him keep his powers but let them go unseen. Hide his hideous exterior from sight."

Tiwere saw his son’s misery and slowly nodded.

The boy lifted his head and looked at the waters once again. Only to find that there was nothing there.

He rubbed his eyes to make sure he was not dreaming, but the horrid reflection in the waters had disappeared, the only thing that indicated his presence was the soft movement of the leaves of the trees close to the beach.

The boy stood up and nodded to himself. He understood that this was his own lesson to learn.

Slowly approaching his kin, who did not flee from him, he started singing softly to them, of all the wonders he had seen in his endless wanderings on the surface of Shijui. But still when he anger the loud roar of his voice can be heard as he destroys everything in his way.

This is how the wind started his endless wandering over the surface of Shijui.

The wishing tree stood alone for several days before anyone else dared to ask for a wish. But eventually all of the remaining daughters of Kinia, except one, approached the tree and took one leaf each in their hands.

"Great Father and loving Mother.

We have seen for many nights the pain and suffering of our sister as she walks the skies. We have all felt the touch of her hand in our hearts, pulsing a string that we ignored was there.

Let us join her in her wanderings, let us comfort and console her in her mourning and pain.

Nothing more do we ask, no power nor strength."

Kinia and Tiwere looked at each other and amazed over the mercy and love these daughters showed for their sister they elevated them to the heavens, letting their eyes glow softly in the dark.

This sight greatly comforted their brothers and sisters, blowing a flame of hope into their lives each time they looked at the loving eyes of their sisters.

This was how the stars came to shine over Shijui.

Remaining on the ground were now only two brothers an a sister.

They all stayed close to the tree for several weeks, seeing the sun and moon rise and fall, and the stars appear and disappear, listening to the wise whispers of their brother the wind.

Unknown to Kinia and Tiwere there was a creature hidden in the deep womb of the stones. A spirit tortured by mischief and evil.

She had turned into what was know as a Murrimurri, a demoness.

She glanced up at the moon and saw something she could use to her benefit.

Stealing a few of the rays of the moon she hid them down in the darkness, perverting them and turning them into something dark and evil.

In the silence of her hiding place she delighted in the malice she used to twist the love of the gods into something that would destroy their children forever.

As soon as night fell and before the moon raised she sneaked over to the tree and places the perverted moon shine on the three remaining leaves.

Morning came and the three remaining children approached the tree and reached for one leaf each.

The oldest of the remaining brothers was the first one to state a wish.

"We have seen and understood what happened to our brothers and sisters in their effort to wish for what is not for them, we have learned from their mistakes and we now know what we shall not wish for."

Lifting his hand with the leaf in it he spoke clearly.

"My wish is very simple and easily fulfilled.

I wish not to live forever, for the eternity is to long time for me.

I wish not for power, for I don’t have the strength to bear it.

I wish not for love, for love must be given freely.

I wish to stay here, close to the earth that was given to me and live a simple life, and one day, far from now I will die, only to be united with my mother and father once again."

The boy kissed the leaf as he finished talking, and as he did the plan of the murrimurri was fulfilled.

The boy felt a wave of oblivion cover his mind as he forgot what he was and who were his father and mother.

Left was only his wish, but twisted and perverted by the evil of the murrimurri.

He felt a thirst for power that he had never felt before and as he opened his eyes he saw one of the jewels that Kinia had made lying in the grass, picking it up he felt a strange hunger, hunger for more of these jewels a hunger that filled him with the strange urge to hide his findings from his brothers and sisters and never let them see them.

A dark shadow of greed covered his heart and perverted his soul even more.

The sister watched her brother as he made his wish and nodded in agreement.

But as soon as his lips touched the leaf she saw something was wrong, a dark shadow entered his mouth as he kissed it and lay a shadow over his eyes.

She then saw as he picked up one of the jewels and hide it in his hand, never before had he done something like that, always they had shared everything.

She lay a hand on his shoulder to turn him around and she jumped back in horror as she saw his eyes. They were dark as the night but with a strange glow of madness.

She cried out as she slapped her over the face and ran away.

"The treasure is MINE! You want to steal my riches from me!."

The voice of her brother filled the air as he escaped from his sister and his brother, leaving them both staring after him in disbelief.

Kinia and Tiwere looked at each other in horror. What went wrong, they fulfilled the wish of their son that seemed so easy and simple, and then this, aggressivity, anger, hate.

These were things they never left on Shijui.

Looking down on their creation they spotted a fleeing shadow trying to hide under a large boulder.

Tiwere himself descended on Shijui to pull the shadow out from beneath the boulder, and as he did his eyes fell upon the face of the creature of evil.

"What have you done to my child, you Murrimurri?" He raged and tried to strike her down. Kinia saw what was happening and descended beside her mate placing a hand on his shoulder. "Speak you evil one. Who are you and why have you done this to our son?" Her voice was kind but firm and the light from her face revealed the true self of the demoness. Under her surface of anger and hatred Kinia saw something that disturbed her greatly.

The murrimurri was one of her children, the youngest of them all, the big eyes of her daughter was still tainted with hate and envy but they seemed clearer.

"Do you not recognize your own kin mother?" The child spoke to her. "It does not suprise me at all. For when you created the tree of gifts you made one leaf to each of my brothers and sisters...but you forgot me." The voice of the girl was poisonous and Kinia suddenly realized that her daughter was right, that she had forgotten her, kneeling in front of her child the great goddess prayed for forgiveness, her mate only being able to watch as his beloved one begged the perverted child to forgive her.

"Beg not, mother, for there is no forgiveness in my heart for you, only hatred." The child spat on the ground in front of her mother. "I carry nothing but hate with me for the gift you denied me. I will forever try to destroy what you both have created. If you give my brothers fruit I will rot the fruit before it can touch their lips, if you give them water to drink, I will poison the waters so they die of thirst. For I have found what my gift will be, given to my by the hate I feel for you both. My gift will be destruction, corruption and death."

Hissing at her parents she disappeared in a cloud of smoke leaving Kinia, Tiwere and her brother and sister behind.

Kinia rised to her feet and looked at her mate, the light of her eyes weak as she realized what her daughter just have become, the littlest of her children, so easily forgotten had became the ruler of darkness, she had became Death herself. Tiwere looked at his mate, the darkness of his face even deeper than before. "What have we done? We have unleashed the evil on our creation:"

Then the remaining daughter slowly approached the tree and took a leaf in her hands. Kinia saw this and rushed to stop her, but her child looked up at her with infinite wisdom in her eyes. "Fear not mother, I know what I must do."

Lifting the leave toward her father she spoke in a clear voice.

"I have lost my brother and sister to the darkness, but I cannot abandon them.

I have my wish in my heart and my mind.

I wish to follow my brother in his wandering, to be with him and give him solace when he needs it. I wish to never forget what today happened to both of us. I will be his mother, his mate, his sister and his daughter.

If my sister brings death, let me bring life."

Kissing the leaf she felt how a dark shadow invaded her and made her forget who she was. But as she tried to run away Kinia softly laid a hand on her head and one hand on her belly. "I want you to remember that you are a divine creature. I want you to remember that in your womb lies the secret of life and you are the one that carries the seed of love in your heart. For your sacrifice will make the way for your brother and for yourself easier."

The woman felt a soft light illuminate her as Kinia planted the seeds of life deep inside her body. Smiling softly as she remembered for a brief instant who she was she slowly started to follow the path her brother had chosen, disappearing with him behind the green hills.

Kinia dried her tears as her daughter, now transformed into a woman followed the path of her brother, now transformed into a man, seeking their own destiny.

Left was only the youngest brother, he looked over at the tree and shaked his head. "Nothing good can be born out of that leaf. I beg you father to destroy it, for I wish not to forget my mother and father."

Tiwere nodded and destroyed the last leaf of the tree and then looked down at his son. "You cannot remain on Shijui for you have no form."

The child looked up at his father and mother and smiled softly. "I know, but I have a wish that I hope you can fulfill." He stood close to the tree and slowly spoke the simple words of his wish.
"Let me be the guide of my brother and sister.

In times of great strife let me bring them hope and comfort.

I wish to show them the way to the truth following them trough the ages if I have to. Father, Mother, I wish to stay with them, in their memory and heart forever."

Lifting his arms he begged his parents with all his soul, and they complied to his wish.

The child started glowing as he transformed into a being of light, taking the form of a white stallion, a golden horn sprouting from his forehead.

Kinia and Tiwere looked at their son, now transformed, a being of light trapped inside the flesh of the creature, the unicorn.

The unicorn stood on the brow of the hill, looking at his brother as he started to rise and at his sisters as they slowly faded away, knowing that he would be alone, as they were, but at the same time he knew that he would be with them forever. As if he knew his brother the wind whispered him the secrets of places that he had been, his breath lifting the mane and tail of the unicorn.

The unicorn nodded gravely at the words of his brother and standing there on the hill her raised on his hind legs, rearing as he greeted the rising sun.

Kinia watched her son with great sorrow, knowing the sacrifice he had done, chosen to be the guide of his brother and sister and of their offspring, not being able to join his mother and father, since he would not be able to die.

A tear came from her eyes and fell to the ground, the light of the fading moon and starts and of the rising sun reflected in the crystal clear tear.

Tiwere caught the falling tear in the dark palm of his hand and looked at it. He could feel the pain and anguish his mate felt and he completely understood her. "Kinia, my dearest one. I do believe we can give our son one last gift."

Saying this he covered the hand that held the tear with his other hand, the whirling darkness that was his face drew closer and blew a stream of warm air at the clasped hands. As he slowly opened his hands a creature could be seen, it was a female unicorn, of the purest white, but with gray speckles on her legs and muzzle. Her eyes were pools of darkness that resembled the darkness of Tiwere, yet they were filled with the light that Kinia, the sun and the stars had given her, and her horn was the silvery color of the moon.

Tiwere lowered her down to the earth and placed her beside his son, the unicorn greeted his mate with a touch of his golden horn against her silver one and she returned his greetings.

"You will never be alone my son, for here is your mate and she will keep you company and give you children. And the day you feel you can pass your task down to your sons and daughters you may choose to wither away and once more join us." The words spoken by Tiwere filled the air as both unicorns started prancing and running over the lush green fields following the fleeing humans.

Kinia and Tiwere looked at the world they had created and at the children that filled it and decided that they had done enough. From now on they would be on their own, until the end of time.

Turning away from the newborn world they moved into the void that only they knew and that called their home, one last tear falling from Kinia’s eye flew over the sky and landed on the wish tree, making it’s dry branches bloom once more, a symbol of hope, left behind to her children

The end